Mr Graeme Mackay, instructed by Messrs Krishnan & Tsang
HCCC 117/2012
HCCC117/2012
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE
HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
CRIMINAL CASE NO. 117 OF 2012
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Transcript of the Audio Recording of the Sentence in the above Case
COURT: The defendant, a 36-year-old Ugandan male, has pleaded guilty before me to a charge of trafficking in 700 grammes of heroin hydrochloride.
The facts of the case are that on 30 September 2011, he arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, in transit to Mainland China. He attracted the suspicions of Customs officers and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was found to have 69 packets containing the drugs the subject of the charge concealed in his intestines. They were subsequently discharged by him. Given the nature and quantity of the drug, I take a starting point of sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. That is enhanced by 1 year to reflect the international element involved in the offence. From the enhanced starting point of 21 years’ imprisonment, I deduct a full one-third to reflect the defendant’s plea of guilty. That results in a sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment.
The facts of the case are that on 30 September 2011, he arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, in transit to Mainland China. He attracted the suspicions of Customs officers and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was found to have 69 packets containing the drugs the subject of the charge concealed in his intestines. They were subsequently discharged by him.
Given the nature and quantity of the drug, I take a starting point of sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. That is enhanced by 1 year to reflect the international element involved in the offence.
From the enhanced starting point of 21 years’ imprisonment, I deduct a full one-third to reflect the defendant’s plea of guilty.
That results in a sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment.